Here's a quick FYI: I'm seeing a couple of trends on campus, one of which you've probably already seen demonstrated in your own home. The first trend is called "poppers". Poppers are created by folding a sheet of thin paper (binder paper works great) in such a way that, when whipped through the air with a quick flick of the wrist, it catches the air and makes a sharp "popping" sound. While this is really cool and could be the focus of a great physics project, it is getting many students in trouble on the bus, in the classroom, on the playground, etc. If you see your child creating these, please discourage him or her from bringing them on the bus or into the classroom.
"Scorpion" is much more alarming than the poppers. The game is played by hooking your thumb around your opponent's thumb, so that your right hand is resting against their right forearm, and their right hand is doing the same. Then, you both dig into that soft underarm wrist area with your fingernails until you either draw blood or your opponent gives in. It's kind of like a new version of "bloody knuckles". If your child gets off the bus with strange, fingernail-sized marks on his or her wrist, this is most likely what has happened. I've had a chat with a couple students who were caught playing this game about how a. it's not safe and blood is not ok to be messing around with, b. it can turn a game into a fight if one of the people playing suddenly decides it's not a game, and c. parents are going to be wondering how you got those marks on your arm and it could turn into a HUGE miscommunication and a messy problem.
I hope you find this information helpful, and I'll see you in just a couple of days!
-Miss Cook
"Scorpion" is much more alarming than the poppers. The game is played by hooking your thumb around your opponent's thumb, so that your right hand is resting against their right forearm, and their right hand is doing the same. Then, you both dig into that soft underarm wrist area with your fingernails until you either draw blood or your opponent gives in. It's kind of like a new version of "bloody knuckles". If your child gets off the bus with strange, fingernail-sized marks on his or her wrist, this is most likely what has happened. I've had a chat with a couple students who were caught playing this game about how a. it's not safe and blood is not ok to be messing around with, b. it can turn a game into a fight if one of the people playing suddenly decides it's not a game, and c. parents are going to be wondering how you got those marks on your arm and it could turn into a HUGE miscommunication and a messy problem.
I hope you find this information helpful, and I'll see you in just a couple of days!
-Miss Cook